Annagh stun Glenavon with shoot-out win in League Cup

Gary Ellis

Marc Robinson emerged the hero for Annagh United as they dumped Glenavon out of the League Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Mourneview Park on Tuesday night.

The sides finished 3-3 after 90 minutes and extra-time but Annagh goalkeeper Robinson saved three Glenavon spot kicks to put the Championship 1 side through to face Ards at home in the next round.

Glenavon have only themselves to blame as they led 3-1 with just ten minutes to go in normal time but were hit by two blows to change to tide of the tie.

There was a blow for Glenavon even before a ball was kicked with centre back David Elebert limping off during the warm-up and with just three minutes gone they found themselves a goal behind. Stephen Park ran onto the ball and delivered an inch perfect cross which eluded keeper James McGrath and Chris McElroy side-footed the Championship 1 side into the lead.

However, two goals in three minutes put Glenavon ahead with Andy Hall drilling a superb shot home on 15 minutes after a neat back heel from Kevin Braniff and the same pair combined for the second on 18 minutes with Hall teeing up Braniff whose shot flew into the top corner.

McElroy broke clear and had a chance to level but McGrath had spotted the danger and came out to block his shot.

The rest of the first half chances fell to Glenavon but they could not make them count and Annagh were still in the tie going into the second half.

Braniff produced a brilliant ball which took out five Annagh players and Patton ran on to force a save out of Robinson, the rebound fell to the Glenavon winger who then hit the post.

The third goal came on 52 minutes after Patton’s low drive spun up off the legs of Robinson and Fabio was on hand to head the ball over the line.

At that stage is seemed Glenavon were home and dry, but Annagh struck two goals in two minutes to make it 3-3.

First Jordan Campbell headed home from a corner on 80 minutes and two minutes later, from another corner, Stephen Acheson stunned the Lurgan Blues to level the scores.

Glenavon saw out a nervous last few minutes and it was on to extra-time.

Neither side could find an all important winner in extra-time so it was down to the dreaded shoot-out.

Gary Hamilton scored the first penalty and things looked good for the home side when McGrath saved Harpur’s spot kick. But Robinson then saved from Simon Kelly, Andy McGory and Andy Hall and with Gary Boyle, Jamie Gardiner and Stephen Acheson scoring Annagh were through.